Stud and rafter



Jan. 2, 1940. A. RAFTER STUD AND RAFTE'R Original Filed April 20, 1958INVENTOR latented Jan. 2, 1 940 NITE STATES 2,185,475 STUD AND RAFTERAlbert Rafter, Glen Ridge, N. J., assignor to Rafter Machine Company,Belleville, N. J., a partnership composed of Albert Rafter and John O.Rafter, Jr.

Original application April 20, 1938, Serial No.

203,022. Divided and this application November 16, 1938, Serial No.240,637

2 Claims.

This application is a division of my co-pending application filed April20, 1938, under Serial #203,022.

This invention, relates to improvements in structural members for use inbuilding construction, and to a method of making the same from sheetmetal.

In building construction, it is desirable that metal studs, rafters,beams and the like, he as light in weight as possible, and at the sametime provide the necessary strength. It has been found advantageous tomake such members from sheet metal, but structures heretofore providedhave been objectionable in that they were made from complicatedforms,and in many instances required welding or the like for joiningelements thereof together.

It is an object of this invention to provide a metallic member forbuilding construction which can be made from two plates of sheet metalsecurely joined together in a novel manner to provide a rigid structureof light weight and great strength.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a metal structuralmember, a joint for securing two plates of sheet metal together in apositive and permanent manner.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, areaccomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangementsof parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanyingdrawing, forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an element used in making a metallicstructural member in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of another element used in the making of thestructural member,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a step in the process of joining thetwo members together,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view partly in section, of a metallic structuralmember made in accordance with the invention, and

Fig. 5 is an elevational View of a portion of a beam constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawing, in Fig. 2 there is shown an element in makinga metal structural member, which comprises a sheet metal plate I havingan aperture 2 therein along the longitudinal center line thereof.Surrounding the aperture 2, the plate has a right angularly directedflange 3 provided with an inturned portion 4.

The edges of the plate have flanges 5 bent at right angles in thedirection opposite to the flanges 3, the flanges 5 being provided withinturned. portions 6. p

In Fig. l is shown an element comprising a plate 20 having an outturnedflange 2| provided with an inturned portion 22. Along the longi- 5tudinal center line thereof the plate 22 is provided with a concaveportion 23 which has the edges thereof encircled by a flange 22 having aright angularly directed portion 25 connected to a flange 22 at rightangles to plate 20.

In joining the elements of Figs. 1 and 2 together, the concaved portion23 and the flange 24 are inserted in aperture 2 so that the portion 25abuts the inturned portion 4 of flange 3. Now, by the use of toolsbearing against flange 24 and the concave portion 23, the concaveportion 23 is straightened out and flange 24 is caused to abut theinturned portion 4 of flange 3 as shown in Fig. 4, thus tightly joiningthe two elements together to provide a rigid and permanent joint. 20

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provideda rigid joint for permanently securing the two elements of the metallicstructural member together. The securing operation obviously is simpleand can be quickly accomplished. In making a metallic structural memberfor building construction, the plate I is provided with a plurality ofapertures such as 2, and the structure of the plate surrounding eachaperture and the manner of joining the plates at each aperture is thesame as above described.

While the apertures are shown in the drawing as being circular andarranged along the longitudinal center line of the structural member, itis obvious that the apertures can be of other shapes and arranged inmanners other than along the longitudinal center line without departingfrom the spirit of this invention.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive andillustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of theinvention, of which, obviously, embodiments may be constructedincluding; many modifications, Without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention herein set forth and denoted in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a structural member for building construction, a first metal plateand a second metal plate spaced apart, said first plate having aplurality of apertures, right angularly directed flanges surroundingsaid apertures and having right angularly inwardly directed portions,said second plate having right angularly directed flanges passingthrough said apertures and bent around and abutting both sides of saidinwardly directed portions, and plates integral with said flangesclosing said apertures.

2. In a structural member for building construction, a first metal plateand a second metal plate spaced apart, said first plate having aplurality of spaced apertures, right angularly directed flangessurrounding said apertures and having right angularly inwardly directedportions, right angularly directed flanges on said second plate passingthrough said apertures in said first plate and having portions bentaround and abutting both sides of said inwardly directed portions ofsaid first plate, and plates integral with the flanges on the secondplate closing said apertures, said plates being parallel to the inwardlydirected portions of said first plate, and abutting the bent portions ofthe flanges of the second plate.

ALBERT RAF'IER.

